The Error Analysis of Chinese Students' English Pronunciation Based on the Theory of Contrastive Analysis

The role of the native language influences in the target language has been a controversial topic. Most researchers agree that the learner's native language influences the pronunciation of the target language. It is significant to compare the structure of one's native language with the structure of the target language, which is known as Contrastive Analysis (CA). CA believes that the similarities of the two languages will facilitate learning whereas the differences will increase the learners' difficulty to learn. Hence, the influence of native language in the learners' target language can be positive and negative. Error Analysis (EA) is another type of linguistic study that focuses on the errors learners make. EA is a useful method to help teachers predict and understand the pronunciation difficulties faced by their students. According to Corder (1967), systematically analyzing errors made by language learners makes it possible to determine areas that need reinforcement in teaching. Hence, the use of EA can aid effective learning and teaching of new language. Moreover, it is also important for the learners themselves to become aware of the differences between their native language and second language during the learning process. Chinese students may encounter difficulties with English sounds due to the interference from their native language. It is difficult for them to produce certain English sounds which do not exist in Mandarin Chinese. This thesis focuses on students' Pronunciation in the view of constructive analysis to improve their English skill.